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Tamim, Rahim tons power Bangladesh to 79-run win

Pakistan goes down by 79 runs in first of three ODIs after dominant show by the hosts

Bangladesh players celebrate after winning the match.

Bangladesh registered only its second win over Pakistan across formats after beating the visitor by 79 runs in the first One-Day International in Dhaka on Friday (April 17).

Bangladesh piled on 329 for 6 after electing to bat on the back of impressive centuries from Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium. Then, paceman Taskin Ahmed and left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny picked up three wickets apiece as Pakistan was bowled out for 250 in 45.2 overs to give Bangladesh a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Tamim hit 132 off 135 balls, hitting 15 boundaries and three sixes in his fifth ODI century, while Rahim smashed a 77-ball 106. The duo added 178 runs for the third wicket – Bangladesh’s highest partnership for any wicket in ODIs.

Saeed Ajmal's comeback to international cricket was spoiled by Tamim and Rahim as he conceded 74 runs in ten wicketless overs to finish with his worst ODI figures.

Azhar Ali, the newly-appointed captain after the retirement of Misbah-ul-Haq, led Pakistan's batting charge with 72 off 73 balls after the first two wickets had fallen for 59 runs. He shared a third-wicket stand of 89 runs with Haris Sohail, who scored 51 off 64, to give Pakistan a glimmer of hope, before Taskin removed both batsmen.

Debutant Mohammad Rizwan then defied Bangladesh’s bowlers with a fluent 67, but the match was Bangladesh's when Sunny dismissed Fawad Alam (14) and debutant Saad Nasim in the 40th over. Taskin finished with 3 for 42 while Sunny took 3 for 47.

Prior to this, in the last 48 encounters, the only time that Bangladesh had beaten Pakistan was in a group match at the 1999 World Cup in England.

The second and third ODIs will be played at the same venue on April 17 and April 22.